Connecticut Friends School

317 New Canaan Road

Wilton, CT 06897

44 Reviews

School District
Grade

K-8
Type

private

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Reviews

Submitted by parent on March 06, 2024

Excellent program for our son. Our family is very happy we chose this school.
Submitted by parent on April 01, 2022

Our daughter started at CFS at 2 and is currently in the new 5s program. She has had an amazing experience with all the teachers, classmates and staff. As parents we couldn’t be happier with our experience at Connecticut Friends School over these last 4 years and will be sad to leave the community when our daughter finishes the 5s program at the end of this year.
Submitted by other on May 31, 2015

Our children have been a part of Connecticut Friends School for years. We chose the school with the goal of embracing an experiential learning environment that supported each of my children academically, socially and emotionally. Our expectations have been far exceeded. Every teacher has engaged, encouraged, supported my children through some of those difficult years. This school gets it! From preschool though 8th grade, it is a unique, positive educational experience. It is the type of school you wish you had gone to.
Submitted by parent on February 10, 2015

My child has been attending Friends Nursery School for the last year. We were sold on the school because we wanted a very play based, individualized curriculum for our child. In addition, we loved the idea of a program that honors all beliefs and instills a love of community. Thus far, we have been beyond pleased with our child's experience at CFS/FNS. He is excited to go to school every day, he loves his friends and teachers, we have felt accepted by the other parents and staff since we walked through the door...it just feels like family.
Submitted by parent on February 09, 2015

My daughter is currently in her third year of preschool at Connecticut Friends School, and she absolutely loves it. The teachers here are the BEST and give each child exactly what they need in terms of attention, care, and education. What I love most about CFS is how they observe the child-led method of exploration and learning, and react and teach based on what the kids are interested in. They foster play and individuality and adventure, and are pretty much the opposite of the Common Core curriculum (if that's important to you).
Submitted by parent on January 26, 2015

"Education is not preparation for life; Education is life itself." This quote sums up so many of the positive feelings I have for our school, Connecticut Friends. My two children attend CFS and are thriving there, academically, emotionally and creatively. I really appreciate the open communication between the teaching staff, administration and parents. There is always an open door to discuss the goings on of the classroom, playground and synthesis of what is being taught to my kids. And, what is being taught is nothing short of excellent. This school is healthy, vibrant progressive education in action. If you are looking for academic excellence executed in a playful way, I highly recommend that you schedule a visit to CFS and see for yourself!
Submitted by parent on January 17, 2015

Connecticut Friends School (CFS) has a nurturing environment where the students feel safe to take risks in their learning. The student-teacher ratio is small so the students have many opportunities to work directly with their teachers. The learning is very hands-on so the students have a very active learning experience instead of a passive education. Most importantly, CFS instills respect, kindness and caring in their students by exhibiting these qualities to their students while expecting the students to treat each other and their teachers with that same respect, kindness and caring. I was very impressed at conference time. My daughter, the teacher, my husband and I attended a conference that my daughter led. She knew exactly what her strengths and weaknesses were and had a goal and plan to work on what was weak. She showed us her work throughout the trimester and her plan to work on her goals. The school believes in the children and their ability to know themselves; it respects their individuality and nurtures the whole child.
Submitted by parent on January 13, 2015

Our family came to CFS after spending three years in another private school in the area. We now have two children enrolled at CFS (one in the Nursery School, the other in Maples). CFS nurtured our older child, focusing at the preschool level on social and emotional development and Kindergarten readiness. Now in Kindergarten, that child is absolutely thriving under the gentle, wise and patient guidance of the Maples teachers. After 2 years at CFS, our child who was once extremely unhappy and lacked self-confidence is now joyful about learning and excited to come to school. Our younger child, now in the second year of Nursery School, is surrounded by loving and supportive staff, permitted the freedom to play and discover, and encouraged to practice kindness and respect. We have a profound respect for CFS, for its philosophy and teaching in a peaceful and thoughtful environment. CFS has become a home for our family and our children.
Submitted by other on January 11, 2015

Our two granddaughters attend CFS, one in the nursery school and one in the middle school. They love it and can't wait to get there every day. The teachers and auxiliary staff are exemplary both in their caring approach to the individual needs of each child and their teaching methods. The buildings and grounds are cozy and inviting -- not at all institutional. There many opportunities for outdoor activities, including the care of pet rabbits in beautiful habitats. Field trips abound, both for enrichment, education and community service. The arts are well represented with singing, musical instrument instruction, performing, crafts, visual arts, etc. This is not just a school, it is a family and we are thrilled that our granddaughters are a part of it. To coin a phrase, "it's where a kid can be a kid." Kudos to CFS!
Submitted by parent on January 11, 2015

Love the Friends Preschool - my child has been there since we took a Mommy & Me class when he was not even 2 years old, then he joined the 2 year old class and then moved up the 3 & 4 year old class. I love that this school is on the smaller side and focuses on the social emotional growth of the preschooler and gives them lots of time to play! Very sweet teachers and leadership, and I also love that they incorporate a mix of philosophies and styles - they are not stuck on one type of philosophy and not rigid at all. They do stress peacefulness (it's a Quaker school) and I also love that while they celebrate the seasons, they do not celebrate individual holidays and do crafts for holidays, just for the seasons. Great school - so happy we chose it!
Submitted by parent on January 10, 2015

We are parents of a middle school student and have been overall very pleased with our child's experience at the school. We are now midway through the year, and our child continues to be engaged, challenged, and is learning a tremendous amount across the strong and emergent curriculum. The friendships in the classrooms are solid between the students and they are supportive and nurturing of each other. The staff and administration continue to be warm, helpful, and communicative. We are consistently kept abreast of changes, developments, and progress in the classroom and school community through parent/teacher meeting, all parent meetings, email updates, and face to face communication. We are very happy with the amount of individual attention that our child receives, the intuitive and enthusiastic nature of the classroom teachers, and the very experiential learning environment that Friends has cultivated for the Middle School Students.
Submitted by other on September 01, 2014

I Graduated from CFS a couple of years ago. It is absolutely the best school I've ever been to and believe me I've been to a lot. Everyone is so kind and welcoming, I attended CFS for four years and I have to say, best four years of my life so far. With the classes so small you really get to know each other, and you're not ignored in a way that easily happens on public schools, the teachers spend quality time with you. The kids are great and become great people, I made some really great friends there that I'm sure will be life long.
Submitted by parent on August 12, 2014

We give Connecticut Friends School an excellent rating because the school is a breath of fresh air in Fairfield County and it supports the values my wife and I try to develop in our home. We want our children to be ambitious, resourceful, creative and competent as well as compassionate friends, strong leaders and moral citizens. When we first looked at the school we noticed how easily the students answered our questions and we were impressed that they felt comfortable explaining the curriculum to us. Of course some children are more shy than others but, by-and-large, the students are self-assured, but not arrogant.
Submitted by parent on August 12, 2014

My wife and I appreciate that the teachers ask the children to think for themselves, but also require groups of students to collaborate and listen to each other's ideas. The practice the kids get problem solving is invaluable and the fact that they are challenged to consider alternate points of view helps them grow to be thoughtful young adolescents who are capable of walking in someone else's shoes. We find this maturity is spotted by our children's summer camp counselors who remark that they are happy to have either of our kids speak up during summer camp squabbles because they can be counted on for making fair comments and for proposing good ideas in a courteous but confident manner. We know this reflects the culture of Connecticut Friends School as much as our own family's culture.
Submitted by parent on August 04, 2014

This school is a Potemkin Village. Now that the administration is aware of the negative reviews on this site, they seem to be stacking the deck with positive reviews from families who are in their circle. Don't look past the negative reviews: some families like it at CFS and stay in the club; most realize that their money is being poorly spent and leave only to wonder if their children learned anything of value.
Submitted by parent on June 25, 2014

My daughter was in the Wilton public school district. She was doing OK until we hit middle school when the public school discouraged my daughter to the point where she began to hate school. Being a 7th grade student we were concerned about moving her but, as her parents, we knew what would be best. She started at CFS in 8th grade and within 2 months my daughter was back to her amazing self. She began to feel confident and eager to go to school. She was making friends and the sparkle was returning to her eyes. CFS goes until 8th grade and although some may think it is a short time to make a big difference, well .it truly did make a positive impact for my daughter. She felt accepted, academically supported and at ease for the first time in her middle school career. I only wish we had 4 more years at CFS. However, that 1 year proved to be a positive experience that truly made a difference with my daughter! She is now in public high school in Wilton but a girl with values that were only learned at CFS. That one year gave her exactly what she needed.
Submitted by parent on May 27, 2014

After searching for a school that offers a balanced approach to education we enrolled our 2 children at Connecticut Friends School. That was 3 years ago and we have not been disappointed. Younger students have a healthy mix of academics and playtime; we consider this far healthier than a program that leans too heavily toward test taking and assessment. Our younger child learned to read and write and do mathematics while still having daily recess sessions outdoors and free choice options indoors. The curriculum for all ages includes service work projects, theater productions, field trips and special instructors (e.g. yoga workshops or live animal presentations in the classroom). For older students the daily schedule includes not only subjects such as math, language arts, social studies and science but activities such as art, P.E. and music (...the main music sessions focus on singing and music theory but the kids also take part in special workshops on African drumming). The middle schoolers take Spanish and participate in a great Outdoor Education and Leadership program where they get off-campus every other week to go caving, rock climbing, hiking, skating etc. We recommend CFS!
Submitted by teacher on May 27, 2014

I have worked for Connecticut Friends School for a number of years now and I have found the teachers and staff to be the most caring people. In my experience, the care that is given to each student, whether the children are aware of it or not, is evident throughout. I am always amazed at the understanding that the teachers and administrators have of what each student faces when they wake up every morning. This goes for even the mysterious middle schoolers. The question throughout the school year is always how can we help this student . How can we help the student find their way; find their path; find themselves so that when they leave here they are empowered to be their very best selves and not some kid lost in the high school crowd. Growth on this level requires a sense of community and trust. Community as in it takes a village and trust that each student gets what they need. Not what everyone else gets but what each individual student needs to be a successful person.
Submitted by parent on May 26, 2014

Our son has been enrolled at Connecticut Friends School for 4 years and we have had a very positive experience. My wife and I both agree that since starting at CFS our son has been thriving not only academically but emotionally as well. We've seen the great care the teachers have put into the curriculum, taking the kids on field trips to supplement what they are learning in school; introducing hands-on projects in science, language arts and social studies; integrating art projects with their academic studies; weaving performing arts opportunities into the curriculum; offering many, many ways to connect with nature. We have been impressed with all that our son has learned, and how his teachers have stretched him to take on challenges that he at first shied away from while simultaneously nurturing the areas our son took to naturally. We've seen our son's confidence grow but also his ability to consider the needs of his classmates and to make thoughtful decisions. Our observation is that all the students are asked to reflect on how their own behavior affects the class and school community. CFS helps children become articulate communicators and develop leadership skills.
Submitted by parent on May 22, 2014

I enrolled my child at this school with the hope that it would be a nurturing environment that would help him thrive as a student. It didn't in the slightest. Not only are both of those hopes not present, but the faculty are uncaring, greedy, and unequipped, and the education is disappointing at best. If you're considering this school, don't look past the negative reviews.